To provide safe operation of motor vehicles and trailers, fabricators generally provide a plurality of lights and signalling devices to aid the driver and improve the vehicle visibility. Such lighting systems typically include a plurality of forwardly directed headlights which aid the driver in viewing the operating environment in dark situations such as night driving. In addition, vehicles and trailers as well as other similar devices operated upon roadways include a plurality of rearwardly directed brake lights or taillights together with a plurality of frontal and rear signal lights commonly referred to as "turn signal lights".
Taillight or brake lights assemblies are primarily operative to warn other vehicle operators of anticipated activities being undertaken by the driver as well as increasing the general visibility of the vehicle from the rear. Such taillights are generally red in color and include means for operation at different illumination conditions in response to the presence or absence of brake actuation by the vehicle driver. Turn signal lights are generally provided at both the front and rear of the vehicle and are often integrated into the brake light assemblies of the vehicle. Such turn signal lights have in recent years been distinguishable from taillights or brake lights by the use of an amber or clear lens system. Signal lights are operated by the vehicle operator in anticipation of a turn in either direction and thus provide warning for operators of other vehicles.
The safe operation of the motor vehicle requires that the operator periodically inspect the vehicle for operative lights and so on. However, between normal inspections, the operator remains generally unaware of various types of malfunctions which may occur within the turn signal indicating lights or taillight and brake light systems. Faced with the obvious safety problems created by inoperative turn signal lights and taillight and brake light systems, of which the driver is generally unaware, practitioners in the art have endeavored to provide and develop various indicator check systems directed toward providing reliable indication to the vehicle operator of lighting system malfunctions.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,569,933 issued to Longenecker, et al. sets forth a SIGNALLING SYSTEM WITH INDICATING MEANS for use on vehicles which indicates the condition of the lighting system thereof. The system includes fiber optic coupling means extending between the vehicle light system and indicating means positioned within the vehicle for observation by an operator thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,706 issued to Frey sets forth an INDICATING SYSTEM FOR INCANDESCENT LAMPS FOR VEHICLES utilizing a fiber optical light conductor set in which a light conductor is arranged on each vehicle side and has one end thereof adjoining a light source. The remaining ends of each light conductor are supported at the rear window of the vehicle to be observable by the vehicle operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,273 issued to Tinder, et al. sets forth a REMOTE AUTOMOTIVE LIGHT DIVERTING SYSTEM in which a light pipe including a light diverting section in which light following through the light pipe in a longitudinal direction is diverted at least generally radially out from the light pipe is utilized. The light pipe collects rays emanating from the vehicle light system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,442 issued to Mark sets forth a COMBINATION HOODSCOOP AND TACHOMETER includes a rear facing surface visible to the driver which is equipped with indicating instruments such as a tachometer, a pair of directional signal indicators, a pair of parking lamps indicators and a pair of high beam head lamp indicators. The hoodscoop may include a removable back plate to accommodate a decorative panel as an alternative arrangement.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have, in some sense improved the safety of motor vehicles through providing some monitoring capability for the turn signal and taillight and brake light systems, there are often found to be expensive and complex. In addition, such systems are generally adapted to be installed within the vehicle or trailer during the fabrication process. As a result, there remains a great number of motor vehicles which will continue to operate upon the world's roadways for many years which lack the provision of such safety light monitoring apparatus. There arises, therefore, a continuing need for an improved low cost system for monitoring the operation of motor vehicle turn signal and taillight or brake light systems. In particular, there remains a need for economical after market or add-on apparatus which may fulfill such safety monitoring and which may be readily utilized on existing vehicles and trailers to improve the overall safety of the world's highways and roadways.